The Edmonton Oilers had a chance to take 2 points from the Calgary Flames last night but gave it away chasing Matty Tkachuk around the ice thus exposing Todd McLellan’s inferior coaching once again this season.
The team is now 9-9-1 and can either go over .500 with a win over Vegas tonight or fall under .500 with a loss.
How long is Todd McLellan’s leash do you think?
Todd McLellan’s BS
If I were Peter Chiarelli, I’d be phoning up Darryl Katz and getting permission to move forward with a coaching change. This is getting ridiculous.
Cooper Marody played a shade over 3 minutes last night… THREE FOOKIN’ MINUTES! What was the point of inserting him into the lineup? McLellan said they couldn’t get him back into the game because of all the penalties and then by the time they could, they’d shortened the bench.. Geez…
Then the new guy couldn’t break 10 minutes because the coach decided to put Lucic up on the McDavid line to combat Matthew Tkachuk who, by the way, was having NO IMPACT on the actual playing part of the game.
Now, I have no problem with Lucic taking a shift or two now and then with Connor or Leon but the entire 3rd period when the team was looking flat?! No no no no no no. You get Spooner back in the game, you get Marody back in there, and you start playing hockey again. Enough running around looking for payback or at least if you’re looking for blood, start taking out the Gaudreaus, the Lindholms, the Monahans.
Did RNH even play last night? I hardly noticed him.
Like, how is McLellan even running that bench? His decisions are costing the team in a season where he’s coaching for his job…
Matt Tkachuk
I’ll say this, I think he’s elite and what I mean by that is, he’s the best player in the NHL at not getting caught.
How many times was he punching an Oiler in the face, taking a run at someone, or getting his shots in after the whistles? Yet, no penalties. He’s Teflon. Nothing sticks to that kid and at the same time I hate it and love it. He’s perfect for the game today because he throws chaos into every game he plays. Chaos is good in a league that is so rigid and planned.
That said, he’s playing a very dangerous game. Zack Kassian and Milan Lucic could’ve really hurt him last night (yes, there was a part of me that was hoping one of the Oilers tough guys would’ve knocked him out).
Mark my words. His day will come and it might not even be him getting tuned in. Maybe next time Kassian grabs Gaudreau in the same manner John Scott went after Phil Kessel years ago. Just an apology before the puck drops and then POW! RIGHT IN THE KISSER!
Stauffer made an interesting point on Twitter after the game.
The NHL.
The only League in the World more worried about protecting the Matthew Tkachuk's of the game over a Connor McDavid!— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) November 18, 2018
The Oilers could’ve won that game easily had Leon Draisaitl or Jujhar Khaira scored on the three breakaways they had combined. So there’s that.
Jesse Puljujarvi
I’m so happy I bought the Bakersfield Condors package from AHLTV. I’ve watched both games that Jesse Puljujarvi has played in since being sent down and let me tell you… WOW! Not a sign of poor confidence that I’ve seen.
Remember how Pulju was looking during pre-season when we all thought the Oilers RW depth was sorted? Well, he looks even better than that vs AHL competition.
In his first game, the Condors played ex-Oilers coach Dallas Eakins and the San Diego Gulls. Jesse lined up with Josh Currie and Kailer Yamamoto to start but Woodcroft did end up switching things up later in the game.
The Condors spent WAY too much time in the penalty box and the Gulls made them pay for it. They actually chased Al Montoya from the net early in the game forcing Shane Starrett to mind the net for the rest of the match.
The game will most likely be remembered for career minor-leaguer Corey Tropp sticking Jesse Puljujarvi in the nuts and then proceeding to fight the big Finn after Pulju slapped his stick away. It was not a great showing for Jesse in that department but in the hockey playing department, he was looking like that kid who was dominating the SM-Liigga as a 17-year-old.
He was hitting, skating, shooting, making plays, and just being the end-to-end force we know he can be. Seriously. I have never seen him play like that apart from maybe the World Juniors but even then I’m not sure the physicality was there. He was truly a beast in that game but unfortunately, the Condors dropped the decision 4-0.
The next game was against the Colorado Eagles and Pulju was back at it alongside Josh Currie (again) and Tyler Benson. Jay Woodcroft even had him lined up on the PP in his old trusty spot, half-wall left side. I just remember him and Ethan Bear passing it back and forth trying to figure out who was going to take the one-timer.
I love how Woodcroft is using him. He knows exactly how to use him and it’s so refreshing. You see, Puljujarvi is a line driver. He, like Connor and Leon, loves to swoop into the d-zone and gather the puck in order to drive it through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone but Todd will not allow that on his team. Only Connor is supposed to be doing that I’ve heard.
Great way to put a guy in a position to succeed.
Anyways, Pulju ended the night with a goal and an assist. I believe the goal was the GWG to boot with the Condors winning 4-2. Tyler Benson also had 2 assists.
In both matches, Jesse Puljujarvi was slicing through AHL defenses like a hot Finnish blade through some Valio. It could be the adrenaline but I’m willing to bet that he’s just too good for this league with the way he’s punishing the opposition.
I will add this though, he’s taking shots but they’re a lot like the ones he was taking in Edmonton. From the outside and at distance. He needs to get right in there and flick the wrists as Lemieux used to when he’d score bar-down on a nightly basis in the 90s. That’s my only gripe.
After the first game, where he was bulldozing players and getting into scraps, I felt really proud of Jesse because it’s not easy to take a demotion like that and the way he has chosen to channel that emotion really impresses me. He’s using it to be the better player on the ice and if he continues to play like this, he’ll earn a call-up to the Oilers in no time. Hopefully, by then the Oilers will have a new bench boss that will use him properly.
Just a quick note on some of the other players for Bakersfield.
- Hebig has been invisible the last two games.
- Benson is already dominating at this level as a two-way playmaker.
- Ethan Bear will not be ready this season even though the Oilers could use his passing. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s available in the right trade.
- Yamamoto has been hot/cold these last two games. He’s good at the AHL-level but he still needs some refinement.
I’ve really enjoyed watching this minor pro hockey. It’s very unpredictable whereas NHL hockey is getting too regimented. Almost like watching football. Set plays are everywhere. I love the mistake-laden hockey as it offers up way more chances.
